Summary of Site Changes   

Summary of IDEIA as reauthorized in November 2004, a 30-page PDF from the Council for Exceptional Children
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Individual Education Plans (or Individualized Education Program). Also see IEP Forms.

1. Seven Steps, explains the steps of the IEP process

2. IEP Process Overview, from assessment to implementation
3. The full EasyIEP article for teachers, from the edited version in the Spring 2007 SpEd Newsletter
4. Summary of Special Education Timelines for disciplinary and IEP development actions
5. IEP Roles, Multidisciplinary Team member roles for each step of the IEP process
6. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Notice of Procedural Safeguards, dated February 2008, this 38 page document replaces the "Rights of Children with Disabilities and Parent Responsibilities" (July 2005) and the shorter ABCs rights brochure as the parental rights document to offer at least annually at IEP meetings
7. Suggestions for Tracking IEP Progress from the Alief Independent School District
8. Prepared Behavior Goals and Objectives, many clearly worded ones from Arizona
9. Sound Advice to Parents on handling the IEP meeting
10. Limits on Holding IEP Meetings without the parents attending
11. High School IEPs, the quick and easy of it for Sevier County
12. IEPs vs. Section 504, explains the difference between IEPs and 504 plans
13. Psychological Tests and Test Interpretation Tools, also includes downloadable printout templates for MS Excel
14. Woodcock-Johnson III Frequently Asked Questions, by test section, with answers and a link to submit questions
15. Support Teams for Special Education in Sevier County
16. 10 Special Education Options, descriptions of contact hours, caseloads, and related services, with option number for each and examples for some. Here's the same file as an MS Word 6.0 document.
17. Related Services, descriptions of related services, with two-digit codes for all and examples for some
18. Justifications for Restricted Placements, samples of some Least Restrictive Environment IEP wording, borrowed from an Alaskan school system
19. Suggested IEP Goals and Objectives for the Bipolar Student from the Papolos' book The Bipolar Child
20. IEP 4 You, California Department of Education's site for goals, benchmarks, and other IEP development suggestions

Paraeducators

1. ParaEducator Praxis testing dates, cutoff scores by state, and other information from the Educational Testing Service
2. ParaEducator Praxis Tutorial from the Educational Testing Service
3. ParaEducator Survey for Praxis Training Sessions as a PDF file and as an MS Word document
4. Paraeducator Handbook for Sedgwick County (Kansas), a lot of limited use admin stuff, but the responsibilities section and the intro to various disabilities are well worth reading
5. Guidelines for Determining the Need for Paraprofessional Support, for use during Sevier County IEP meetings
6. Paraeducator Workbook, useful groundwork for smart ways to involve paraeducators in the classroom and school system
7. Online Paraeducator Training from the University of Kentucky
8. Utah's Paraeducator Consortium, a wide range of information and support to classroom assistants and student attendants
9. National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals, site started in 2002
10. National Clearinghouse for Paraeducator Resources, a thorough, inclusive collection of resources
11. Paraeducator (Teaching Assistant) Training Materials from the University of Nebraska
12. Effective Paraeducator Resource Manual from North Dakota's Department of Public Instruction
13. Working Together for Successful Paraeducator Services, a 35-page PDF from the U.S. Department of Education's Northwest Regional Laboratory
14. Guidelines for Paraeducator Education, policy paper from the Northwest Regional Lab on designing training for TAs
15. Roles for Paraprofessionals in Effective Schools, a 1997 publication from the U.S. Department of Education
16. ParaEducator Handbook for Sevier County
17. Paraeducator Job Description, for an Attendant
18. Paraeducator Job Description, for an Inclusion Classroom Assistant
19. Paraeducator Job Description, for a Speech/Language Assistant
20. Paraeducator Job Description, for an Assistant in a CDC or SDC
21. Paraeducator Job Description, for a Sign Language Student Interpreter
22. Annual Paraeducator Evaluation, in a narrative, descriptive format
23. Annual Paraeducator Evaluation, in checklist format
24. Semiannual Paraeducator Evaluation, as compiled by Dr. Sandy Enloe, should be done one-to-one with the supervising classroom teacher at least once each semester.  Fax to (865) 453-3112 once completed.  The same evaluation as a PDF file.

 

Professional Development Resources and Training Opportunities

1. Calendar of Training Offered After School Hours in Sevier County During SY 07-08, all paraeducators, teachers, administrators, and parents welcome. Presenters or dates may change; watch for individual announcements prior to each inservice. The same file in PDF format.
2. Transition/Post-High School Considerations, after school inservice session given by Melinda Dunlap, Linda Tilson, Jeanne Tredup, and Randy Corrado on November 1, 2007
3. Transition/Post-High School Considerations, PowerPoint slides from the after school inservice session given by Melinda Dunlap (Consulting Teacher at Pigeon Forge High School) on November 1, 2007
4. DIBELS Training Done in March 2008 by Sevier County's School Psychologists. Here's is a link to the slides for this presentation.
5. TCI training PowerPoint Presentation.  Be sure to check the "Notes Pages" view for Jeff Moore's accompanying notes.
6. Calendar of TCI trainings offered by the SpEd Department Aug-Sep 2008
7. Becoming Involved in Your Child's Education and School, after school inservice session given by Kendra Davis (of Sevierville Middle School) on May 8, 2007
8. Recent Changes in IDEA and NCLB, after school inservice session given by Jeff Romanczuk (of Sevier County Special Education) on May 8, 2007
9. Modifying Assignments and Tests for Inclusive Teaching, after school inservice session given by Janet Epley and Lara Carr (Pigeon Forge Middle); Debbie Smolnycki and Jennifer Jeffers (Sevierville Primary) on March 12, 2007
10. Modifying Assignments and Tests for Inclusive Teaching, the Powerpoint for Debra Smolnycki and Jennifer Jeffers' part of the inservice
11. Strategies for Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders, after school inservice session given by Sandi Estes (Resource teacher at Jones Cove) and Brian Sims (Behavior teacher at Seymour Intermediate) on November 2, 2006
12. NEA Grants for teacher professional development
13. Principles of Learning and Teaching (Praxis II) Preparation, and the same file as an MS Word document
14. Mentoring Teacher's Handbook, a 90-page manual from Massachusetts
15. Calendar of Professional Development Workshops, many available online this school year
16. Research Notes on Various Education Topics from the San Diego County Office of Education
17. Tennessee School Boards Association, TBSA's website
18. Identifying and Implementing Educational Practices Supported by Rigorous Evidence, 19-page PDF file from the U.S. Department of Education
19. What Works Clearinghouse, Scientifically based collection of successful approaches in education
20. TeacherWeb.com, a place on the Web for you to easily set up your own classroom site; great info sharing for students and their parents
21. Educational Programming Resources, from the Indiana Resource Center for Autism
22. Resources for Teaching Students Who Have Learning or Behavior Obstacles, from the British Columbia Ministry of Education
23. Internet Education Exchange, for parents and teachers
24. Fulbright Teacher and Administrator Foreign Exchange Program, with application and information for the next school year
25. 4Teachers, special education and professional development links
26. Henderson Training Series for Educators: Useful Links, from Vanderbilt's JFK Center
27. Teachers' Resources, a lot of links from Virginia
28. U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce, highlights the House of Representatives' committee that works education issues
29. Resources and Advice for New Teachers from the LA County Office of Education
30. Survival Guide, the U.S. Department of Education's tips for first year teachers
31. Educational and Curricular Resources from Georgia's Teacher's Resource Center
32. Paideiaschool Library, a nice mix of professional development and lesson planning links
33. Teachers' Closet, topical articles and good materials, though the pop ups can get annoying
34. Professional Development from the LA County Office of Education
35. Council of Administrators of Special Education. CASE is a division of the Council for Exceptional Children.
36. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, some useful links even for non-ASCD members
37. Elementary and Secondary Education Act Reauthorization for 2002, aka, "No Child Left Behind"
38. Title II Guidance, the "Improving Teacher Quality" State Grants guidelines
39. Rethinking Special Education for the 21st Century, the Fordham Foundation's view prior to the next IDEA reauthorization
40. National Forum in Special Education, a peer-reviewed electronic journal
41. National Education Association, with links to education information and resources
42. Council for Basic Education, some good Reading and Science teaching information
43. Collaboration and Cooperation, in teaching learning-disabled children
44. Teachers Collaborating, general view, with some Special Education emphasis
45. Teacher's Planet.com's professional development link
46. World Education News, from the Australia-based International Confederation of Principals
47. TERC, research into science and math education
48. 20 Suggestions for a Teacher and Paraeducator to Work More Effectively Together, from LD Online
49. Conflict Resolution, teacher behavior from an inservice by Sevier County's Special Education Director
50. Map to link to the many U.S. Department of Education Regional Laboratories
51. Professional Development for Teachers, courtesy of Eisenhower National Clearinghouse
52. APA Style Sheets Online, from Northern Michigan University's Library
53. Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, good detail on the domains of learning
54. National Center on Educational Outcomes' online publications site
55. International Reading Association, including Reading Research Quarterly online
56. Best Practices and Specialty Areas of several North Carolina teachers
57. Brain Research, Standards-based Education, and Good Instruction, Maryland's guide to good practice
58. Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) site overhauled in September 2004
59. ERIC Clearinghouse for Education Management
60. Set of Professional Journals for Teachers, courtesy of AT&T
61. Full text of many education journals online and it's thorough, too!
62. Education Week, online version of "American education's newspaper of record"
63. Pro-Ed Journals, a good site to find education sources produced by the Austin, Texas publisher
64. Journal of Special Education Technology, online version from CEC's Technology and Media Division
65. National (U.S.) Education Association's Professional Books; this is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act link
66. U.S. Department of Education Grant Applications in Reading, Math, Vocational Rehabilitation, etc.
67. Searching the Internet, tips from Berkeley's Teaching Library
68. Teachers' Rights and Responsibilities for educating students with disabilities in general education environments
69. Education Listserves, good group of Internet lists, archives, and directories
70. List of Disability Newsgroups, a thorough collection of online mailing lists
71. School Catalogs, the site to start from, well sorted by subject and age groups
72. Forms for IEP development, career tracking, parent contact, etc.

Tennessee Special Education Links

1. Educators, the State's main link for teachers' professional information and resources
2. Special Education, the State's main link for Special Education information
3. Curriculum Frameworks, the State's curriculum outline
4. Professional Growth, the framework for evaluation of teachers
5. Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System, forms, benefits, and information for state employees
6. Course Codes and Endorsement Codes, for the 2000/2001 school year
7. Praxis Score Requirements for Tennessee
8. Search for Other Ten-Nash People when you know only their name or work place
9. Assess Your Ten-Nash Account from Any Browser; check your e-mail from anywhere

County Forms

1. SCS Anecdotal Documentations, the green sheets for adding incidental reports to students' records
2. Information for SPED Census, the form (in MS Word) for faxing to Rebecca Campbell after programming changes involving any Special Education student
3. Special Education Staffing Report, for building-level IEP Monitors to update the Trula Lawson Center records monthly (by faxing to Rebecca Campbell after each month's updates)
4. Eligibility Report, to document eligibility for Special Education services and the instructions for completing it. Save it to your own hard drive because depending on your default printer's setup, you may have to reset a few tabs to get the check boxes to line up. Or here is the Eligibility Report as a PDF file.
5. Field Trip Permission to Parents one fill-in-the-blanks model to send home. Also see Field Trips and Excursions, Sevier County School Board Policy 515.
6. Tracking Calls Home one way, or a second way to record talks with parents
7. Note to Home, a progress update to send home with the student each day
8. IEP Progress Report Cover Sheet, for the parent and teacher to send and receive comments each grading period
   

Positions in Sevier County

Please contact the Sevier County School Board (select "Employment Opportunities" link) or (865) 453-4671 for the list of positions open. Contact Dr. Sandy Enloe (865) 453-1036 for more information on special education positions available. 

1. Certified Special Education Teachers (Tennessee endorsement 105, 460, 461, or 465) for various settings (self-contained, resource, and inclusion). 
2. Speech/Language Pathologists (Tennessee endorsement 068, 464, or 498)
   
3. Certified, Noncertified, and Substitute Teacher Applications are available in PDF under the "Employment Opportunities" link at this Sevier County page
4. Noncertified Positions (Paraeducators and bus drivers)
   Please contact the Sevier County School Board at (865) 453-4671 for more information. Click here for an Application for Employment with the Sevier County School System (for teaching assistants or others requesting work that does not require certification). Or select this one, Application for Teaching Employment with the Sevier County School System, for those requesting teaching or other certified positions. If you have matching certification from another state, contact the Tennessee Department of Education in Nashville (615) 532-4880 about getting an out of state certification for Tennessee.

1. Application for Employment with the Sevier County School System, for teaching assistants or others requesting work that does not require certification
2. Application for Teaching Employment with the Sevier County School System, for those requesting teaching or other certified positions
3. County Employee Authorization Form, for new employees and their supervisor to sign
4. County Contract Supplement Form, for employees to be paid from Sliver Grant funds
5. Flexible Inservice Credits, for professional staff to document the 6 (or more) hours of Inservice time required each year. The same form as an Acrobat PDF file.
6. Claim for Traveling Expenses, for covered employees to be reimbursed for driving their own vehicles on official business
7. Dental or Vision Direct Reimbursement Claim Form, for covered employees to receive back part of their payments for covered dental work or eye exams, glasses, contacts, etc. (form was revised to add vision in January 2004)
8. Bus Conduct Report, the driver's form for reporting student behavior and corrective action taken
9. Bus Maintenance/Completion Reporting Form, Sevier County Schools Form 620, for the driver to indicate a problem and the garage staff to report how they fixed the vehicle
   
   

State Information

Teaching Jobs in Tennessee, from the state's list

Steps to Getting an Out-of-State License to Teach in Tennessee, this is Dr. Romanczuk's summary, since many have called to ask

Application for Tennessee Teaching License or Amendment to Licensure, the form for adding education credits, additional endorsements, or Praxis scores

Table of Endorsement Titles and Corresponding Codes, includes most (but not all) Tennessee Teaching License add-on endorsement codes.  The full list from the State's website.

2007-2008 Total Teacher Salary for Sevier County, based on formal degrees and years of experience ("Total" means including state and local funding)

2007-2008 Total Supervisor Salary for Sevier County, based on formal degrees and years of experience ("Total" means including state and local funding)